Perhaps a different look on obesity

Let me start out by saying yes I am fat. I also take full responsibility for this. It was my own food choices and lack of exercise/activity that led to it.

After reading the Fatty McFat thread or whatever the H*** it was called I didn't see anyone bring up another possible cause for obesity.

I am in no way trying to make an excuse but I feel like the only way to get my point across is to explain it this way.

I am low income. Not on GA but we scrimp and at the end of the month nothing is left. The food that is "good" for you is more expensive than the food that isn't so good for you. Fresh veggies are more expensive than canned, pasta (not whole wheat) is cheap, ground beef is cheap, potatoes are cheap. So this is what we buy. Could this be why being overweight/obese is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups?

Don't worry about flaming me. I'm a 4chan oldie. Not much you can say I haven't heard before.

Let me start out by saying yes I am fat. I also take full responsibility for this. It was my own food choices and lack of exercise/activity that led to it.

After reading the Fatty McFat thread or whatever the H*** it was called I didn't see anyone bring up another possible cause for obesity.

I am in no way trying to make an excuse but I feel like the only way to get my point across is to explain it this way.

I am low income. Not on GA but we scrimp and at the end of the month nothing is left. The food that is "good" for you is more expensive than the food that isn't so good for you. Fresh veggies are more expensive than canned, pasta (not whole wheat) is cheap, ground beef is cheap, potatoes are cheap. So this is what we buy. Could this be why being overweight/obese is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups?

Don't worry about flaming me. I'm a 4chan oldie. Not much you can say I haven't heard before.

I think you are on the right track, that some of the obesity problem is the food choices people make. There are smarter choices that are cheap though. Rice is cheap and is a healthy grain, frozen veggies can be just as cheap as canned (and healthier). Ground beef may be cheap, but it is how it is cooked that makes it worse.

I live paycheck to paycheck as well, and can budget healthy cheap options for my family. I think if people did research, they could make healthier food choices that do not cost an arm and a leg. I think people just are not educated on how to eat healthy without spending lots of money.

I think you are on the right track, that some of the obesity problem is the food choices people make. There are smarter choices that are cheap though. Rice is cheap and is a healthy grain, frozen veggies can be just as cheap as canned (and healthier). Ground beef may be cheap, but it is how it is cooked that makes it worse.

I live paycheck to paycheck as well, and can budget healthy cheap options for my family. I think if people did research, they could make healthier food choices that do not cost an arm and a leg. I think people just are not educated on how to eat healthy without spending lots of money.

I went grocery shopping for a few fresh veggies (not organic, mind you, those are expensive), and was suprised at how cheap it all was. I didn't get huge servings, but green beans were about 0.50$, I paid 0.40$ for 3 bananas, 0.70$ for baby carrots, 1.70$ for 8-10 red potatoes, 0.30$ for 2 tomatos. Apples though... I find them more expensive. 2-3$ for 5-6. But I guess I could figure out what is in season and shop that way, so I know what is more delicious and costs less.Maybe it's worth an extra try to shop better and fresh veggies taste so much better, in my opinion anyway. If i had a green thumb I'd take up gardening, but alas, everything I try to grow dies.

I went grocery shopping for a few fresh veggies (not organic, mind you, those are expensive), and was suprised at how cheap it all was. I didn't get huge servings, but green beans were about 0.50$, I paid 0.40$ for 3 bananas, 0.70$ for baby carrots, 1.70$ for 8-10 red potatoes, 0.30$ for 2 tomatos. Apples though... I find them more expensive. 2-3$ for 5-6. But I guess I could figure out what is in season and shop that way, so I know what is more delicious and costs less.Maybe it's worth an extra try to shop better and fresh veggies taste so much better, in my opinion anyway. If i had a green thumb I'd take up gardening, but alas, everything I try to grow dies.

I was utterly offended by that previous post and I don't happen to be overweight. There are various reasons someone might be obese. That being said, I have a hard time with this one too. Yes, fresh foods are more expensive than those of convenience - or can be - but you can buy healthy on a budget. The main difference is you will need to actually cook. I grew up in a low income family and we ate fine because my mom cooked. It's about planning and budgeting. As a pp pointed out, frozen veggies are food (actually better than canned because there is no added sodium), brown rice, canned or dried beans, etc. You can choose smaller amounts if neat, stock up when it's on sale, eat oatmeal or eggs. As I said, this is not easy and requires planning but it is how I ate growing up. Now if you mention you live in a food desert - that is a different subject and yes, it would make things far worse.

I was utterly offended by that previous post and I don't happen to be overweight. There are various reasons someone might be obese. That being said, I have a hard time with this one too. Yes, fresh foods are more expensive than those of convenience - or can be - but you can buy healthy on a budget. The main difference is you will need to actually cook. I grew up in a low income family and we ate fine because my mom cooked. It's about planning and budgeting. As a pp pointed out, frozen veggies are food (actually better than canned because there is no added sodium), brown rice, canned or dried beans, etc. You can choose smaller amounts if neat, stock up when it's on sale, eat oatmeal or eggs. As I said, this is not easy and requires planning but it is how I ate growing up. Now if you mention you live in a food desert - that is a different subject and yes, it would make things far worse.

But for instance I do cook.A typical week of dinners might be:Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a veggie (out of a can)SpaghattiSOSHamburgers, and a veggieMac and cheese, and a veggieChiliHamburger, Tomatos, and mac.

Yes frozen veggies are better than canned but 99cents for a bag vs 59cents for a can... I'm going for the can. Rice is $5 for a 1 pound box. I can buy 5 pounds of pasta for the same price. And I do stock up when stuff is on sale. I'm covered for canned veggies for a year I swear. They had canned veggies 5 for a dollar. I'm still proud of that one.

But for instance I do cook.A typical week of dinners might be:Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a veggie (out of a can)SpaghattiSOSHamburgers, and a veggieMac and cheese, and a veggieChiliHamburger, Tomatos, and mac.

Yes frozen veggies are better than canned but 99cents for a bag vs 59cents for a can... I'm going for the can. Rice is $5 for a 1 pound box. I can buy 5 pounds of pasta for the same price. And I do stock up when stuff is on sale. I'm covered for canned veggies for a year I swear. They had canned veggies 5 for a dollar. I'm still proud of that one.

It is just a small hometown supermarket. I loathe places like Walmart, and their produce is not the best in my experience.I guess the trick is, it is #.##$ per lbs, but I don't need a pound. So I get what I need, which isn't as much. Like 3 bananas, not a lot, but anymore for me and the bananas will probably rot... And that's a waste of money.Then again, it's just me and DH and my ever hungry pregnant belly.Canned can run up to over a dollar If you don't get off brand, and it cam be cheaper to get fresh in those cases.I eat a lot of beef... And chicken... And pork... And turkey... Yum. Oh, but meat is expensive! We will get them in bulk and portion it out in freezer bags, that can help save moola.A trick I learned in grocery stores is to shop the perimeter for healthy food. The aisles in the middle are the foods filled with preservatives, and such, that you don't "need". But produce, dairy, meats, usually is on the perimeter. Shop mostly there and you'll save money. Don't buy what you don't really need, like potato chips, soda, ect, and you save money. Works for me at least. And if I don't buy it, I don't eat it. Granted, I do buy a Coke and drink it a little bit in the afternoon. I do love warm chocolate chip cookies with milk... But I have just a little bit and only once a day.

It is just a small hometown supermarket. I loathe places like Walmart, and their produce is not the best in my experience.I guess the trick is, it is #.##$ per lbs, but I don't need a pound. So I get what I need, which isn't as much. Like 3 bananas, not a lot, but anymore for me and the bananas will probably rot... And that's a waste of money.Then again, it's just me and DH and my ever hungry pregnant belly.Canned can run up to over a dollar If you don't get off brand, and it cam be cheaper to get fresh in those cases.I eat a lot of beef... And chicken... And pork... And turkey... Yum. Oh, but meat is expensive! We will get them in bulk and portion it out in freezer bags, that can help save moola.A trick I learned in grocery stores is to shop the perimeter for healthy food. The aisles in the middle are the foods filled with preservatives, and such, that you don't "need". But produce, dairy, meats, usually is on the perimeter. Shop mostly there and you'll save money. Don't buy what you don't really need, like potato chips, soda, ect, and you save money. Works for me at least. And if I don't buy it, I don't eat it. Granted, I do buy a Coke and drink it a little bit in the afternoon. I do love warm chocolate chip cookies with milk... But I have just a little bit and only once a day.

Healthy eating is definetely possible on a budget but people are right - you have to know how to cook and food procurement is hard work (going to markets and grocery stores vs. fast food/convenience stores). The other problem is convenience foods taste better than these nutritious cheap options. This is especially true people have been raised on these high carb, fat, sodium choices.

As others have mentioned cheap healthy options include: frozen veggies in winter, eating fruits and veggies which are local and in season (I can get all my family's produce for a week at the farm market in the summer for under $10), rice, potatoes, dried peas, beans, lentils, peanut butter, homemade bread (I make a loaf for less than $0.50). Buying and cooking in bulk saves money. Also being creative can saves pennies. Example one raw chicken can feed a family three meals (baked chicken dinner, casserole with leftover meat and soup made from stewing bones).

Healthy eating is definetely possible on a budget but people are right - you have to know how to cook and food procurement is hard work (going to markets and grocery stores vs. fast food/convenience stores). The other problem is convenience foods taste better than these nutritious cheap options. This is especially true people have been raised on these high carb, fat, sodium choices.

As others have mentioned cheap healthy options include: frozen veggies in winter, eating fruits and veggies which are local and in season (I can get all my family's produce for a week at the farm market in the summer for under $10), rice, potatoes, dried peas, beans, lentils, peanut butter, homemade bread (I make a loaf for less than $0.50). Buying and cooking in bulk saves money. Also being creative can saves pennies. Example one raw chicken can feed a family three meals (baked chicken dinner, casserole with leftover meat and soup made from stewing bones).

I agree with the pp, that farmers markets are way cheaper. But I see what you mean. There are twi things you need when you are a family on a tight budget: cheap and easy. Fast food and cheap food fit the bill! But once you get inti the groove of cooking healthy meals, it'll get easier. Not quicker though! Nothing is as quick as a box of Mac n cheese...

Damn! Now I want Mac n cheese!!!

I found the fatty fat butts post totally ignorant and I'm glad you started this one. I was over weight before i got pregnant and I had my doc devise a diet for me, however, at that time, I had time and money and diet n exercise totally worked! Now with a newborn and being a SAHM I have neither! Bring on the sweat pants... At least for now :-) Thank you!

Where's the chicken? Lol... Just kidding.

I agree with the pp, that farmers markets are way cheaper. But I see what you mean. There are twi things you need when you are a family on a tight budget: cheap and easy. Fast food and cheap food fit the bill! But once you get inti the groove of cooking healthy meals, it'll get easier. Not quicker though! Nothing is as quick as a box of Mac n cheese...

Damn! Now I want Mac n cheese!!!

I found the fatty fat butts post totally ignorant and I'm glad you started this one. I was over weight before i got pregnant and I had my doc devise a diet for me, however, at that time, I had time and money and diet n exercise totally worked! Now with a newborn and being a SAHM I have neither! Bring on the sweat pants... At least for now :-) Thank you!

5 cans for $1, not bad!My DH loves canned veggies. I don't know why... But he does. He would love to eat your menu!And I have spaghetti about every week too, love spaghetti.I see you eat a lot of hamburger. Do you sub in any ground turkey?that might be a good healthier choice. Not everytime, but maybe a couple times.Doesn't look like you eat a lot of chicken, maybe sub that in too. Grilled is good! And as far as rice... It is expensive! But you can buy in bulk, and a little goes a long way. You don't need more than a cupof cooked rice per person, and so a bag can last over a week.I'm part Asian, and I LOVE my rice, I have to make sure I don't eat too much of that.Pasta is delicious... But too much will bite you in the butt.

5 cans for $1, not bad!My DH loves canned veggies. I don't know why... But he does. He would love to eat your menu!And I have spaghetti about every week too, love spaghetti.I see you eat a lot of hamburger. Do you sub in any ground turkey?that might be a good healthier choice. Not everytime, but maybe a couple times.Doesn't look like you eat a lot of chicken, maybe sub that in too. Grilled is good! And as far as rice... It is expensive! But you can buy in bulk, and a little goes a long way. You don't need more than a cupof cooked rice per person, and so a bag can last over a week.I'm part Asian, and I LOVE my rice, I have to make sure I don't eat too much of that.Pasta is delicious... But too much will bite you in the butt.

I too live paycheck to paycheck and often will buy canned goods for 0.59 because I just don't have teh 0.99 at the time, but anytime I have some extra money I will buy the frozen. There are more vegetables in a frozen bag than a can. I get one family serving from a can, I get several from a frozen bag. I prefer frozen to fresh because it lasts a lot longer. If I buy fresh, we eat them once and they tend to go bad on me. In the long run, it is way more cost effective to get the frozen vegetables than the canned. Also, when I buy canned I refuse to buy the store brand because they always have stems, etc., in them, but frozen store brand is cheaper and I haven't (knock on wood) had any problems with them yet.

Also, wheat pasta in my area is only a few cents more and I think it is more filling. I never use as much wheat pasta as I do "regular" pasta, and my very picky kids love the wheat pasta.

Just a few notes from a fat chick:)

I too live paycheck to paycheck and often will buy canned goods for 0.59 because I just don't have teh 0.99 at the time, but anytime I have some extra money I will buy the frozen. There are more vegetables in a frozen bag than a can. I get one family serving from a can, I get several from a frozen bag. I prefer frozen to fresh because it lasts a lot longer. If I buy fresh, we eat them once and they tend to go bad on me. In the long run, it is way more cost effective to get the frozen vegetables than the canned. Also, when I buy canned I refuse to buy the store brand because they always have stems, etc., in them, but frozen store brand is cheaper and I haven't (knock on wood) had any problems with them yet.

Also, wheat pasta in my area is only a few cents more and I think it is more filling. I never use as much wheat pasta as I do "regular" pasta, and my very picky kids love the wheat pasta.

Do you have "discount" grocery stores like Aldi, Food Basics, Bottom Dollar, Produce Junction (or a produce outlet,) etc? Not sure where you're from, but see if these stores are around you or something similar. Essentially, they mostly sell non name brand items but for super cheap. Also, scan every circular and ad for sales. If chicken is on sale at a good price, stock up on whatever you can and freeze what you won't use right away. Sometimes butcher shops CAN be cheaper because while you may be paying more at that particular time, you are getting more meat and can freeze a lot of it. Fresh fish can be so expensive but tilapia often goes on sale and is a good option. A lot people forget to check out the seafood section for sales and even frozen non breaded filets can be cheaper than fresh. Canned tuna fish with lemon juice and spices instead of mayo is also a good alternative.When we do our major grocery shopping, in one day we will go to a discount store for all the canned goods and frozen veggies, a produce mart or farmers market for fresh produce, a meat store or whatever grocery store(s) have the best current sales on meat. It can be a lot of running in one day but so worth it to save as much as possible.

A few other small minor changes I've made while cooking are using olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil when stir-frying, sea salt instead of regular table salt, balsamic vinegar and a tiny splash of olive oil on salads instead of heavy or creamy dressings, fresh lemon juice and ground black pepper as a marinade for fish and even chicken, roasting fresh veggies in the oven or steaming frozen veggies instead of boiling them and covering them in butter or cheese...

There are a ton of websites devoted to inexpensive healthy eating...HTH!

Do you have "discount" grocery stores like Aldi, Food Basics, Bottom Dollar, Produce Junction (or a produce outlet,) etc? Not sure where you're from, but see if these stores are around you or something similar. Essentially, they mostly sell non name brand items but for super cheap. Also, scan every circular and ad for sales. If chicken is on sale at a good price, stock up on whatever you can and freeze what you won't use right away. Sometimes butcher shops CAN be cheaper because while you may be paying more at that particular time, you are getting more meat and can freeze a lot of it. Fresh fish can be so expensive but tilapia often goes on sale and is a good option. A lot people forget to check out the seafood section for sales and even frozen non breaded filets can be cheaper than fresh. Canned tuna fish with lemon juice and spices instead of mayo is also a good alternative.When we do our major grocery shopping, in one day we will go to a discount store for all the canned goods and frozen veggies, a produce mart or farmers market for fresh produce, a meat store or whatever grocery store(s) have the best current sales on meat. It can be a lot of running in one day but so worth it to save as much as possible.

A few other small minor changes I've made while cooking are using olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil when stir-frying, sea salt instead of regular table salt, balsamic vinegar and a tiny splash of olive oil on salads instead of heavy or creamy dressings, fresh lemon juice and ground black pepper as a marinade for fish and even chicken, roasting fresh veggies in the oven or steaming frozen veggies instead of boiling them and covering them in butter or cheese...

There are a ton of websites devoted to inexpensive healthy eating...HTH!

I think healthy eating can be accomplished on a major budget. I'm not talking organic. Just home made cooking (making the better choices as opposed to tons of unhealthy home made cooking like fried chicken). I do think that one of the major downfalls right now is that a lot of people (general people, not necessarily WTE people) can't cook something that doesn't come from a box. I think if someone is looking to eat healthier, they have to be willing to experiment outside their comfort zone. My very heavy sister can only make pasta. She must have always been a dishwasher in home ec (we still had it back then) because I made much more than just pasta. My sister would be the first to say that you can't eat healthy on a crappy budget. Truth is, she just can't cook. She never strayed from her comfort zone of pasta.

I budget $100 for two weeks, and that includes my husband's lunches and most of mine. Since I meal plan, I try to get menu items that use the same items and then buy in bulk (or use just enough to use a package of something rather than wasting). We plan and eat left overs.

A couple of things that have helped me save money and eat healthier:

In a casserole that calls for a full 1lb of ground beef, I use half. My husband doesn't even notice.

I buy a package of frozen chicken breasts when they're on sale. It's cheaper this way and lasts longer. I can plan accordingly so it doesn't effect my overall budget, and then I save on the weeks I use the chicken as well.

I can't think of anything more that hasn't been mentioned already.

I think healthy eating can be accomplished on a major budget. I'm not talking organic. Just home made cooking (making the better choices as opposed to tons of unhealthy home made cooking like fried chicken). I do think that one of the major downfalls right now is that a lot of people (general people, not necessarily WTE people) can't cook something that doesn't come from a box. I think if someone is looking to eat healthier, they have to be willing to experiment outside their comfort zone. My very heavy sister can only make pasta. She must have always been a dishwasher in home ec (we still had it back then) because I made much more than just pasta. My sister would be the first to say that you can't eat healthy on a crappy budget. Truth is, she just can't cook. She never strayed from her comfort zone of pasta.

I budget $100 for two weeks, and that includes my husband's lunches and most of mine. Since I meal plan, I try to get menu items that use the same items and then buy in bulk (or use just enough to use a package of something rather than wasting). We plan and eat left overs.

A couple of things that have helped me save money and eat healthier:

In a casserole that calls for a full 1lb of ground beef, I use half. My husband doesn't even notice.

I buy a package of frozen chicken breasts when they're on sale. It's cheaper this way and lasts longer. I can plan accordingly so it doesn't effect my overall budget, and then I save on the weeks I use the chicken as well.

We go to Walmart for chicken (we eat so much of it lol) because they have a inexpensive "brand" of chicken there that is I think like 6 boneless skinless in a pack, we only ever have to use 2 of them to feed all 3 of us. The chicken itself doesn't have a brand name on it but it is produced by Perdue farms.

I saw that you said you shop the Manager Special bin, we do the same thing with our meat and we have found that if there is a holiday that the store is going to be closed (like Christmas) on that is the BEST time to go shopping for meat because a lot of it won't be good when they open back up so they put it on special.

We go to Walmart for chicken (we eat so much of it lol) because they have a inexpensive "brand" of chicken there that is I think like 6 boneless skinless in a pack, we only ever have to use 2 of them to feed all 3 of us. The chicken itself doesn't have a brand name on it but it is produced by Perdue farms.

I saw that you said you shop the Manager Special bin, we do the same thing with our meat and we have found that if there is a holiday that the store is going to be closed (like Christmas) on that is the BEST time to go shopping for meat because a lot of it won't be good when they open back up so they put it on special.

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